*** Official January 2020 Thread ***

[WawaCoffee]

Hadn't realized how much time has passed... the final payment for our reservation was due next week. Used the Disney Visa to pay off the trip, the 0% promo APR will help quite a bit. We've hit the point of no return! I booked Highway in the Sky Dine Around for January 9th, if anybody books the same date, let me know! I heard mingling is encouraged.

 

[RubyWish]

Just booked our trip for Jan 5-10 at AKL. Trying to restrain myself from planning, because we're intending this to be a relaxing, go with the flow and do what we want, when we want trip. But it's hard! Only ADR I've gotten so far is Oga's Cantina, since I assume Galaxy's Edge will be nuts with ROTR being open, and I figure it's better to have in case we want to check it out.

What are y'alls thoughts/experience on rope drop vs end-of-night run for rides we want to try and hit but don't have FP for (Flight of Passage, Slinky Dog, ROTR)?

 

[YawningDodo]

FP+ selection this morning was a resounding success! For a party of one, I was able to snag SDD on 60+6 with my pick of times (chose to get it at 11:00 since I'm planning on sleeping in that day). No SDD at 60+1, but that was expected and I had my pick of times for Tower of Terror.

I was surprised to find that Flight of Passage had good availability at 60+2; I was able to get it right at my desired time (I'd frankly been expecting to take NRJ for that time slot and wait to ride FoP during the AH event later in the week). I was also a little surprised by the variety of availability for Frozen Ever After on 60+3. 7DMT was an easy grab at 60+4 and 60+7, and I was able to get tier 2 burners all starting by 9:15 on the three mornings I'm sleeping in and starting late (two at DHS, one at Epcot).

Overall, very happy with this morning's outcome! I think when I get there I'm fairly likely to shift the MK FP+ around since I've got an AH event there as well, relatively early in the trip, and it may change my mind about what I really care about doing there on subsequent days. The rest of it's looking golden, though.

 

[Zia100]

e you able to book FPs for Primieval Whirl or Kali River Rapids? They're both on my daughter's list, but I know that Kali is often down for refurb in January and there are reports that Primieval Whirl is seasonal. Tr

Neither were available for us. sorry!

 

[nandojoe]

Neither were available for us. sorry!

"Kali River Rapids will be closed for refurbishment from early January 2020 through late March 2020. Please check back for updates. "

Source: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/attractions/animal-kingdom/kali-river-rapids/

 

[YawningDodo]

Our FP day is Tuesday...trying to get everything figured out this weekend. For those of you who have recently booked your FPs...were you able to book FPs for Primieval Whirl or Kali River Rapids? They're both on my daughter's list, but I know that Kali is often down for refurb in January and there are reports that Primieval Whirl is seasonal. Trying to manage her expectations...thanks!

You got your answer, but I'll chime in with a third confirmation--both were unavailable for January 25-31.

 

[maranara]

You got your answer, but I'll chime in with a third confirmation--both were unavailable for January 25-31.

Thanks everyone! Such a bummer...though I'm more then ok with not having to pack ponchos since both Kali AND Splash Mountain will be closed for our trip. Silver linings, right? Less then 14 hours until our window opens and I'm getting all sorts of nervous, especially since we have friends whose trip will overlap ours and she was disappointed that they didn't get most of what she wanted.

 

[mandis77]

Thanks everyone! Such a bummer...though I'm more then ok with not having to pack ponchos since both Kali AND Splash Mountain will be closed for our trip. Silver linings, right? Less then 14 hours until our window opens and I'm getting all sorts of nervous, especially since we have friends whose trip will overlap ours and she was disappointed that they didn't get most of what she wanted.

I feel the same way. I'm okay with Splash and KRR because of the time of year. Bummed about Test Track though. Either way it will give us a chance to do things we have missed on the last trip.

 

[JonathonW]

Confession: Kali's one that I don't ride even if it's swelteringly hot outside... that one just gets you too wet, and I don't like squishing around for the rest of the day.

Splash, I'll definitely miss, but I'm kind of used to that one being closed. Downside of visiting in the off season, I suppose. Makes FastPass+ planning a little easier, though, with one less E-ticket on my must-do list.

(And if I ever actually want to get wet, there's always Pirates... I have the worst luck with the water cannons in the scene right after the drop )

 

[maranara]

Yeah, I'm ok with skipping Kali...and not packing ponchos...but Splash is probably my favorite ride ever. And Test Track is my daughter's. Sigh...trying to look for silver linings but it's really a bummer how many things are closed while we're there.

On the upside, I booked our FPs this morning. Got everything I wanted, though none of them at the times I was hoping for. Will be doing lots of criss-crossing at MK and crossing fingers that if I check back daily I can move some of those 4:30 FPs to the morning...

 

[Leigh L]

Yeah, I'm ok with skipping Kali...and not packing ponchos...but Splash is probably my favorite ride ever. And Test Track is my daughter's. Sigh...trying to look for silver linings but it's really a bummer how many things are closed while we're there.

On the upside, I booked our FPs this morning. Got everything I wanted, though none of them at the times I was hoping for. Will be doing lots of criss-crossing at MK and crossing fingers that if I check back daily I can move some of those 4:30 FPs to the morning...

Similar experience here! I initially had an almost 7 p.m. 7DMT (had been hoping for an afternoon) but did mod it to 5:10 an hour later. I also experienced for the first time booking on a Tuesday where it kept timing out for the first 15-30 minutes (I've heard of this but never had a Tuesday FP day before).

BTW, Splash is my new favorite ride. I tried it in 2018 for the first time and just loved it. Not sure why I was so hesitant!

 

[mandis77]

Friday is my FP day. The way schedules worked out AK is our first park day - I know FOP is going to be a long shot. I'll just have to keep checking obsessively. Whatever happens, it's exciting because just the fact I'm thinking about FP's means trip is coming really soon! Is it time to start packing yet? LOL

 

[Jelkat]

Friday is my FP day. The way schedules worked out AK is our first park day - I know FOP is going to be a long shot. I'll just have to keep checking obsessively. Whatever happens, it's exciting because just the fact I'm thinking about FP's means trip is coming really soon! Is it time to start packing yet? LOL

I was able to get a FOP FP on our day 1 and its the Sunday of MLK weekend so was supprised by that so you could be in luck

 

[mandis77]

I was able to get a FOP FP on our day 1 and its the Sunday of MLK weekend so was supprised by that so you could be in luck

Thank you! You've given me hope! LOL

 

[JonathonW]

Booked my FastPasses this morning too-- was able to get pretty much everything I wanted when I wanted, although I had to push Flight of Passage back to the end of my trip since there was only availability in the evening at the beginning of my trip (only planning to be at AK in the morning that day). Put Navi River Journey on the first morning I have scheduled at AK (it's an EMH day-- I'll rope drop the safari during EMH, because that's the best time of day for the safari), and then I've got Flight of Passage later in the week.

The only high-demand FP I didn't get was SDD, which I didn't actually even try for-- that comes at the beginning of my trip, and the way Hollywood Studios FP tiers are structured right now stinks. Would much rather do Tower of Terror there rather than a kiddie coaster.

 

[WawaCoffee]

Anybody else have irrational pre-trip anxieties as we move closer to January?

 

[bluecastle]

Anybody else have irrational pre-trip anxieties as we move closer to January?

This happens to me every trip! As I approach 30 days I start to panic thinking that I will never get organized or get all my lists and plans done.

 

[nandojoe]

Anybody else have irrational pre-trip anxieties as we move closer to January?

I do!! Can´t concentrate in my work activities anymore...just thinking in rides and Disney foods...and thinking that I will be drinking 10.000 galons of diet coke with my mug!

 

[musika]

Our FP day was Tuesday... got pretty much everything I wanted. No SDD on our 60+1, but expected that and snagged it on our 2nd DHS day 1/30. We have littles so TSMM was great to get on that first day. The last time we were in WDW we had to rope drop to ride it (Was during the refurb period to prep for TSL) and it was a super long wait. Will be nice to FP!

We didn't get FOP on 60+2 (mainly because I'm an idiot and started by booking the wrong day, oops). However we did get NRJ which is a better fit overall for our fam since at least 1 can't ride FOP, possibly 2. I'm holding out hope I'll find a single FP on the day of for myself. 7DMT was shockingly easy to get for MK with basically our choice of times. I was expecting worse with Splash being down.

I'm not in love with all the FP times I got so may still play around with them a bit... we're switching things up this trip and doing a couple of late nights/late EMH when normally we are RD people. Will be nice to take the kiddos to fireworks since they're not all at 10pm this trip.

....Now what do I do for 58 days?? LOL

 

[mandis77]

Just finished FP's. I didn't get FOP on our 60+1 (boo) but I'll keep checking. It took a minute to figure out how to modify with the new update. That was my only "must have". I didn't get SDD either but my kids enjoy RnR better so not sure if I'll try to modify that. We are surprising them, so can't really ask their opinion.